Apparatus for the extraction of gold from crushed ores.



T. E. BEAUMONT.

APPARATUS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF GOLD FROM GRUSHED ORES. APPLICATION FILED MAR 29, 1906.

905,048. Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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APPARATUS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF GOLD FROM GRUSHED OBES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1906.

905,048. Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

Witnesses.-

fnrc 71110 WQt d m? I fl $1M THOMAS EDGAR BEAUMONT, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF GOLD FROM CRUSHED ORES.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed March 29, 1906. Serial No. 308,869.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Eocau BEA u- MoN'r, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 9 Prince of Wales road, Batter-sea, in the county of Londom'Eng land, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Extraction of Gold from Crushed Ores. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the extraction of gold from crushed ores which is continuous and rapid in its operation, which can be applied to any old ore which is crushed fine enough, and w ich .can with such crushing recover practically all the gold in free milhn ores and a very large proportion of go (1 that is not free.

The invention consists in an apparatus by which amalgamation and electro-deposition are carried on simultaneousl in the same vessel, in which the ore pulp is caused to circulate continuously in a downward stream which is deflected over the surface of the amalgamator, returning in an up- -ward stream which passes between pairs of metal plates preferably of copper and iron. The mercury of the amalgamator and the copper plates are made cathodes of electric circuits by connection with a suitable source of electricity.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l' is a longitudinal section of an apparatus adapted to carry out the improved rocess; Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of *ig. 1; Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically an automatic device controlling the supply of cyanid solution to the vessel.

The amalgamation and precipitation is conducted inordinary wooden tub (I, of which there ma betwo or more in each battery, in the base of which is fitted an iron casting b having a trough b to contain the mercury and a tap c to draw off the amalgam.

Centrally over the base of the tub is an agitator or ropeller (I which rotates within an open cy lnder 0 supported over the central part of the amalgamator. The propeller d is driven by suitable means at a speed which can be varied as desired by the interposition of the speed cones between the propeller shaft (1 and the (riving shaft,

and the rotation of the propeller is con trolled to produce such a downward current through the cylinder e and resulting upward current outside the cylinder that the latter stream will be insufiicient to raise anything heavier than the largest gangue particles of the crushed ore, so that the heavy gold remains in the bottom of the tub and only the rock and fine old raised to the surface. The c linder e, wiiich is su ported by arms 0 b0 ted to the sides of t e tub, is,provided at its lower end with a flange 0 which deflects the flow of the gold containing pulp over the surface of the mercury 1n the trough b.

In the upper part of the tub a but immersed in the ore pulp and liquid which the tub contains is a series of concentric open cylinders or rings g 12 alternately of copper and iron connected respectively with the and poles of a suitable source of electric current which are insulatingly supported on brackets l between which lates the crushed orein its continuous circu ation passes, and by which the very fine and issolved gold is collected, partly by contact with the amalgamated surface of the copper plates and partly by electro-deposition thereon.

In practice the cylinder 6, and the iron plates h are connected with the terininal of a continuous current generator capable of delivering a suitable current at a potential of about (5 volts, the tray 1) and amalgamated copper plates g being connected with its terminal. The liquid contained in the tub a preferably consists of a 0.1 er cent. solution of potassium cyanid and icing by its continuous circulation repeatedlybrought under oxidation by the atmos here, its )ower of dissolving or cleaning go d is there y maintained at a high degree of efficiency b virtue of the absorbed oxygen. The cya nid solution is introduced into the first tub from a vessel containing a saturated or strong solution and is addd in such (pi-anti ties as may be required to maintain the standard stren th of solution in the tub, which as alrca y stated is preferably a '0.1 per cent. solution but maybe either somewhat stronger or weaker. A convenient method of maintaining the required strength of solution is by maintaining the electrical resist ance between the anodes and cathodes constant, the total resistance of the electrodeposition circuit having been previously adjusted to give the\proper current density when the electrolyte is of the standard strength. Thus it is merely necessary to observe the ammeter in the circuit and to open the cyanid supply cock when the current falls in strength until the .ammeter a ain indicates the proper value. The supy cock maalso be operated automatical y any suita le electrical device controlled by t e movement of the circuit ammeter or voltmeter, such for example as is illustrated in Fig. 3, in which contact of the metal index n of an ammeter n included in the electrolyzing circuit with one or other pair of the two pairs of contact studs 0 0' establishes one or other of two electric circuits which include electromagnets p p respectively. These magnets are respectively arranged when energized to open and close the supply cock either by direct attraction of a lever g of ma etic' material connected thereto or throng any suitable linkage connecting their armatures with the cock. A spring acting on the lever may be substitute for one of the electromagnets.

The crushed ore ulp is delivered to the tub a by the pipe z and the overflow containiixgthe gangue and some fine gold is dischar ed by the pipe 9' into the device commonly own as a vspitzkasten consisting of a trough or ho per shaped vessel is open at its lower end t the pressure of a stream of water or cyan d solution in the (pipe m by which an upward flow of liqui is maintained in the vessel is as indicated b arrows, which is sufiicient to sustain the lig ter particles of gangue and the fine gold which are dischar d over the li of the vessel k into a secon recoverin tu as shown in Fig. 1, which deals with t e mixed gan e and gold in the manner alread describe while the heavier gangue partic es are carried by the stream of pressure fluid and discharged at the end m of the pi e.

Similarly the disc arge from the second tub may be treated in a third similar vessel and so on until the whole of the gold has been recovered, although usually it will be found that with most ores practically the Whole of the gold will be recovered by treatment in two tubs only.

I. claim 1. An apparatus for the extraction of gold from crushed ores comprising in combination a vessel for the reception of the ore pulp, an amalgamator forming part of an electric circuit and laced in the base of said vessel, an electroeposition apparatus for the deposit of gold in the u per art of said vessel, and means containe witin' the said vessel to circulate the ore piilp and subject.

it repeatedly to the successive action of the ama gamator and the electro-deposition apparatus; substantially as described.

2. In apparatus of the character herein described a vessel for the reception of the ore pulp, a metal tray in the base of the said vessel having a trou h containing mercur a vertical open cylinder suspended central y over the said tray and having a deflecting flange projecting over, said trough, and a \propeller within the said cylinder rotating to roduce a downward flow of ore pulp wit in the cylinder, substantially as described.

J 3. In apparatus of the character herein described, a vessel for the reception of the ore pulp, an amalgamator forming art of an electric circuit, and placed in the ase of the said vessel, a series of annular anode and cathode plates in the upper part of the said vessel, and means within the said vessel for inducing a central downward flow and outer upward flow of the ore pulp with ect to the said anode and cathode plates, w ereb the said amalgamator and electro-deposlt ap aratus may be elfectively used in the one and the same vessel; substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for extraction of gold from crushed ores, comprising a vessel containing ore pulp and an electrolyte, an amalgamator forming part of an electric circuit and laced in the base of said vessel, an electroeposition apparatus in the upper part of sai vessel, means for circulating the ore pul and electrolyte vwithin the said vessel, an means dependent on the density of the electrol [:e to regulate automatically the supply of i resh electrolyte; substantially as described.

5. An a paratus for the extraction of gold from cruslied ores, comprising a vessel con.- taining ore pulp and an electrolyte, an amalgamator formin part of an electric circuit and placed in t e base of said vessel, an

electro-deposition apparatus in the upper part of said vessel, cans for circulatin the ore pulp and electrolyte within the sai vessel, an'd means for maintaining automatically the strength of the electrolyte in said vessel and automatically supplyin fresh electrolyte thereto, comprising an e ectric relay connected with the electrolyzin circuit, a pair of electric circuits control ed by said relay,'an electro-magnet in each of said pair of circuits, an electrolyte supply tap and a lever actuating said tap and controlled by said electro-magr iet; substantially as described.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising a vessel for the reception of ore pulp, an amalgamator forlnin part of an electric circuit, in said vesse, an electro deposition apparatus for the deposit 01 metal, also in said vessel means for subject? ing the ore-pulp repeatedly to the successive action of the /amalgamator and the electrode osition apparatus.

An apparatus of the class described comprising a vessel jar the reception of ore pulp,

an amalgnlmator forming part of an electric In testimony whereof I have signed my circuit, 1n said vessel, an electro-deposition name to this specification in the presence of apparatus for the deposit of metal, also in two subscribing witnesses.

said vessel, and means for causing the sub- THOMAD EDGAR BEAUMONT. jection of the pulp to the successive action of Witnesses:

the amalgamator and the electro-deposition EDWARD GARDNER,

apparatus. WALTER J. SKERTEN. 

